Puzzle



8 9 m 9., 2 V D N d on t n B a P N R 0 B N A s H N 8 8 M 6 m N PUZZLE.

(Application filed June 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

I 2 I a I F a r11Ill/111/111111);1111/1IIIIIII/Ih/I/l/IIlI/I/ W/TNESSES as cu. PHOTO-LITHQ. wnsumcmm. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL HARRIS SANBORN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,988, dated November 29, 1898.

Application filed June 16,1898. Serial No. 683,576. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL HARRIS SANBORN, a citizen of the United States, re-' siding at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to puzzles, and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which is simple in construction, but the solution of which is exceedingly difficult, said solution being capable of accomplishment, however, by the exercise of care, skill, and ingenuity on the part of the operator.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a box or casing which forms a part of my puzzle; Fig. 2, a similar View of a number of blocks which I employ and which also form a part of the puzzle; and Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the blocks in position.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in the practice of my invention I provide a box or casing which is preferably rectangular in form and which comprises a bottom 5, vertical side walls 6, and end walls 7, and the corners of the box or casing are preferably filled with triangular blocks 8.

The box or casing is provided with a plu rality of longitudinal vertical walls or plates 9, which are preferably oblong in form and which are secured to the bottom thereof and by means of which the central portion of the box or casing is divided into five longitudinal spaces or passages which are in communication at each end, the ends of the walls or flanges 9 being at a distance from the end walls of the box or casing substantially equal to the width of the spaces between said walls or flanges. The bottom of the box or casing is also provided with seven transverse rows of circular spaces 10, and, considering the end of the box or casing directed toward the top of the sheet as the head thereof, the said circular spaces in the first row are colored red, in the second row white, in the third row blue, in the fourth or middle row white, and in the last three rows red, white, and blue, respectively. It will also be observed that the circular spaces above referred to are arranged in transverse and vertical or horizontal rows, and all of said spaces, with the exception of the end spaces of the rows at the side of the box or casing, are provided each with a letter of the alphabet, and said spaces at the ends of the side rows of the box or casing are preferably each provided with a star or other designating character. The letters of the alphabet employed preferably form the words of the sentence How the great Dewey fight was won, and it will be observed that by reason of the peculiar formation of said spaces and the location thereof each transverse row contains one word of said sentence.

I also employ a plurality of circular blocks or disks 11, which are shown in Fig. 2 and which equal in number those circular spaces 10 in the box or casing which are provided with letters, the corner-spaces 10, which are provided with stars or other designating characters, being not represented by a disk or block, and these disks or blocks 11 are provided with letters which correspond with those in the circular spaces 10 of the box or casing and are also colored to correspond with said spaces. In practice these blocks or disks are placed indiscriminately in the box or casing, and the solution of the puzzle consists in manipulating said blocks or disks, without taking them out of the casing or raisthem off of the bottom thereof, so as to arrange them in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the arrangement of said blocks or disks will be exactly the same as that of the arrangement of the circular spaces in the box or casing, and the sentence hereinbefore referred to may be read thereon. This solution is very difficult, but may be accomplished in the manner of other puzzles of this class, and instead of using the sentence How the great Dewey fight was won another sentence may be employed or other designating characters may be used to distinguish the separate circular spaces in the box or casing and the corre spondin g blocks or disks. In moving the disks or blocks in order to accomplish the foregoing solution of the puzzle they must not be raised from the bottom of said box or casing, and each movement must be from one of the circular spaces to another, and the object of providing four of the spaces which are not represented by a disk or block is to provide room for the movement of the disks or blocks, as will be readily understood.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a puzzle, a rectangular box or casing, comprising abottom and vertical side and end walls, said box or casing being also provided at each corner with a triangular block, and with a plurality of longitudinal vertical walls or flanges secured to the bottom thereof parallel with the sides, and between which and the sides of said box or casing are corresponding longitudinal spaces equal in width, said spaces being in communication at each end with transverse and corner spaces, equal in width to the longitudinal spaces said longitudinal vertical walls or flanges being terminated at each end so as to form said transverse and corner spaces, the bottom of the box or casing being also provided with a plurality of circular spaces arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, the said longitudinal rows being between the vertical walls or flanges and the sides of the box or casing, and said circular spaces except the end spaces of the side rows being provided With letters so arranged that each transverse row thereof forms the word of a sentence, and a plurality of circular blocks or disks which correspond with the circular spaces having letters, and

which are provided with corresponding letters, substantially as shown and described.

2. A puzzle box or casing,comprisinga bottom and vertical side and end walls, said box or casing being also provided with a plurality of longitudinal vertical walls or flanges secured to the bottom thereof, and between which and the side walls of the box or casing are longitudinal spaces which are equal in width, and which communicate at each end with transverse end spaces of equal width therewith, and the bottom of said box or casing being also provided with a plurality of circular spaces arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, the longitudinal rows of said spaces being placed between the Walls or flanges, and the side walls of the box or casing, said circular spaces except the end spaces of the side longitudinal rows being provided with letters so arranged that each transverse row of circularspaces forms a word of a sentence, and a plurality of blocks or disks which correspond with the circular spaces which are provided with letters, said blocks or disks being also provided with corresponding letters, and the separate transverse rows of said circular spaces being distinctively colored, and a corresponding number of said blocks or disks being similarly colored,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of June, 1898.

NATHANIEL HARRIS SANllOllr'.

\Vitnesses:

F. A. STEWART, A. C. McLoUcHLix. 

